1966 Plymouth Belvedere - War Witch's War Wagon

In the case of Terry Brown’s ’66 Belvedere, that means a once-built-for-racing Mopar is ready for the strip once again. But not without some major changes -- and additions.

Builder Darren Tedder had little more than a bare unibody to start from. “It had been totally dismantled, and it had part of an old rollcage in it that somebody put in God knows when,” he recalls. “It was basically the hull of a car—just quarters and half an old cage in it. There were no doors, hood, fenders, or decklid.”

At least there was enough to start from, once Darren did some “addition by subtraction.” “It was like anything else, being systematic about everything, and getting rid of the older, less-than-safe chassis work and mounts, and improper bar placement,” he recalls. “We finally just cut everything out and started over.”

Once the box-top B-Body’s unibody was ready, in went the race-ready hardware. “It’s a 511-inch Hemi,” Darren says of the powerplant built from a Mopar Mega Block. “We’re estimating that it’s around 800 horsepower,” he adds.

That should be enough to punch a sub-ten-second-hole in the air on the quarter-mile, but Darren says he and Terry are working up to it. “Because Terry’s new at this car stuff, she’s only made some eighth-mile passes in the car. It’s run 5.92 seconds at 114 mph in the eighth-mile,” says Darren. He adds, “I’m sure it will run in the upper end of the nines without any problem, because the car accelerates harder once it gets moving, being that it’s a heavy old car.”

3/5A full rollcage adds strength and safety to the Belvie’s unibody, as do the Kirkey race buckets and Simpson harnesses and window net. Still a Belvedere dash, but this time it’s got AutoMeter Pro Comp gauges. The steering wheel is a ’72-’74 ’Cuda item.

Still, the acceleration generated by a race-built Hemi in a race-prepped B-Body takes some getting used to for Terry. “It’s a rush," says the Canton, Georgia–based horse trainer. “I can’t even explain it,” she says, while noting her enjoyment of speed -- on four wheels and four legs. “We like horsepower, whether it’s four-legged or the cars’ power,” she says. “I buy and sell horses, so that seemed like a natural progression.”

Terry continues on about the ’66, which carries her nickname, War Witch. “At first it was very intimidating, but it is fun,” she says. “And, of course, I have complete confidence in the car because Darren built it. He’s able to explain things so that I don’t feel as out of control as I might have.”

4/5

Not only did Darren build it and help her learn how to run it on the strip, he also gifted it to her. “It was an excellent surprise,” she recalls. “He gave it to me for my birthday.”

Both Darren and Terry have sound advice if you’re thinking of turning a swap-meet find into a strip screamer, or if you’re taking to the dragstrip for the first time: “Don’t rush it,” she says. “Don’t expect immediate success. Get used to it, have some time in it and around it before you just jump in it and go.”

Darren adds that it may be better to start with more than he did on this build. “If you can tolerate other people’s work, then buy something that’s already built,” he says. “But if you have to have things your own way, start with as little as possible that you have to re-do. That way, you know everything that’s been done, and you can feel a certain sense of confidence, knowing that every component in it you’ve selected and installed, and it’s all meant to work together, and there’s nothing hidden that could come back to bite you later or make it unsafe.” mm

We like horsepower, whether it’s four-legged or in the car

5/5Rear quarters are all steel, while the bumpers, decklid, and hood are by AAR Fiberglass. Rule-mandated fuel pump and electric shut-offs are located under each taillight.

Paint/Body: Dennis Buice tubbed and added a full rollcage to the original ’66-vintage unibody before he shot on the PPG two-stage White paint. AAR Fiberglass supplied the hood and trunk lid.

Interior: Full-race interior by Dennis Buice features Kirkey bucket seats, Simpson safety harnesses, and a full rollcage that Darren fitted in place of a previous one. AutoMeter’s ProComp tach and gauges monitor the Hemi’s vital signs.